Smithsonian Snapshot

The Declaration of Independence is a foundational American document.

The comic strip and TV show juxtaposed modern family life with the stone age.

Franklin knew that clothing conveyed messages and meaning.

Smithson was a scientist and founder of the Smithsonian Institution.

A Civil War solider used hardtack in a crafty way.

Zhong Kui is a spirit guardian of good health.

A woman's letter to her parents describes the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor—and shares her fears.

The day before a “date which will live in infamy.”

Must be the season of the witch.

The origins of voting outside the polling place in the U.S. date back to 1813.

In a Civil War battle, bullets cut down an oak tree.

Artist Alexander Calder put abstractions in motion.

In 2024, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) celebrates 75 years.

This pen was used by President Lyndon Johnson to sign the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2, 1964.

Red-eyed and noisy, their appearance in 2024 is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

“The bay horse said to me, ‘Behold them, your horses come dancing.’”—Black Elk (Oglala Lakota), 1932

A motorcycle odyssey into life’s bigger questions.

This stovepipe top hat was nearly synonymous with Lincoln, and it was worn on a fateful day.

Dorothy Liebes had a big impact on 20th-century design.

Walcott was a botanist, glacial geologist, and artist—and had ties to the Smithsonian.

"Live long and prosper."—Mr. Spock

What species of extinct mammal did this molar belong to?

This mid-century space oddity allowed visitors to phone home.

These relics commemorate the bloodiest single battle on American soil.